Dementia Support Group

Dementia is the progressive decline in cognitive function due to damage or disease in the brain beyond what might be expected from normal aging. Particularly affected areas may be memory, attention, language and problem solving, although particularly in the later stages of the condition, affected persons may be disoriented in time, place and person (not knowing who they...

New to the Dementia Group

I just joined the dementia group (though I have been on DS for over two years now). I'm going to school working towards my nursing degree, still have many years to go but slowly getting there! :)

I joined because I care for an elderly woman, she is 89, and suffers from dementia. She is coping pretty well, eating regular (healthy) meals and taking her medication daily.

She recently lost her husband, and it was after then I was hired as the people who were supposidly helping her were actually just taking advantage of her (taking her money, using her car, having her pay for their cable/internet etc). Such a shame!

She is lovely, but with her husbands health failing over the past few years and her inadequate care she still has room for improvement.

Im trying to help her bathe regularly, eat healthy, and take her medication every day. So far it seems to be helping, she was really confused when I first started because she wasnt taking her meds and was only being fed things like jelly on toast. But now she seems really alert (feisty, sarcastic personality! haha), still forgetful but not nearly as bad as before.

She takes aricept, she has really bad nightmares because of it, so I talked with the pharmacist about it and we're now trying to take it late morning instead of at tea time to see if it helps ease the nightmares. Hopefully that will do the trick.

Shes really a wonderful person, we get on really well. I've only worked with her for a couple of months, but I already feel close to her, so want to give her the best care I can.

Sorry for rambling! I'm mostly here to find some support, and answers to questions if/when I have them. Which I'm sure I will.

My mum has cared for people with dementia for 30+ years, so she has a lot of experience, but she is back in Scotland (where I am from) but I moved to California last year, so would be nice to have people to talk to when I cant speak to her.

Welcome to the group. That is a very luck lady to have such a caring person looking out for her. With the elderly, everything takes a lot of time. Patience and a deaf ear is the best advice. Any changes or new things takes some time to absorb. Routine is also very important.

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